Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Florida Agrees to $40K Settlement Over DeSantis’ Removal of Orange-Osceola State Attorney
  • Local news

Florida Agrees to $40K Settlement Over DeSantis’ Removal of Orange-Osceola State Attorney

    State to pay $40K settlement tied to Florida Gov. DeSantis suspension of Orange-Osceola state attorney
    Up next
    Trump and DOGE can cut Social Security Administration
    Could Trump’s Actions and Dogecoin Affect Social Security?
    Published on 08 May 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • 40K,
    • attorney,
    • desantis,
    • DeSantis Suspends Worrell,
    • Florida,
    • gov,
    • Investigators,
    • Monique Worrell,
    • orange county,
    • OrangeOsceola,
    • Orlando,
    • Osceola County,
    • Pay,
    • Politics,
    • ron desantis,
    • settlement,
    • State,
    • suspension,
    • tied
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    ORLANDO, Fla. – Nearly two years after Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell, state officials have agreed to pay $40,000 to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by one of Worrell’s former employees, records obtained by News 6 show.

    Keisha Mulfort, who served as Worrell’s chief of staff and public information officer, was fired from the state attorney’s office on Aug. 9, 2023, the same day DeSantis suspended Worrell for what the governor described as incompetence and neglect of duty.

    Mulfort was at home on maternity leave when she was terminated by Andrew Bain, who DeSantis appointed as state attorney to replace Worrell, according to a federal civil lawsuit filed by Mulfort last year.

    Prior to learning she had been fired, Mulfort claimed that state attorney’s office employees and armed sheriff’s deputies showed up at her home on Aug. 10 to retrieve social media passwords and repossess state property.

    “Y’all should have made arrangements. That would have been the respectful thing to do. I am here with my 10-week-old daughter,” Mulfort can be heard saying on a cell phone video recorded during the encounter.

    [Watch our previous coverage below]

    “I was a first-time mom — recovering from childbirth, navigating postpartum complications, nursing my newborn daughter, and adjusting to life as a new mom,” Mulfort said in a statement to News 6. “I had just brought life into this world, and in one of the most sacred and vulnerable times of my life, I was terminated — without warning, while on approved maternity leave, without basic human decency.”

    “By repeatedly directing Plaintiff to perform work-related activities and then terminating Plaintiff’s employment while she was on leave under the [Family and Medical Leave Act], Defendant interfered with Plaintiff’s FMLA rights,” Mulfort alleged in her lawsuit.

    The Office of Florida’s Attorney General, which represented the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office in the litigation, denied Mulfort’s allegations and unsuccessfully sought to get the lawsuit dismissed.

    Earlier this year, Mulford agreed to withdraw her FMLA claims and drop Bain as a defendant while continuing to pursue other civil rights claims against the state attorney’s office, court records show.

    Following mediation last month, records show Mulfort and representatives of Florida’s Office of Attorney General agreed to settle the lawsuit for $40,000.

    About $21,500 of the settlement is designated as back pay and compensatory damages for Mulfort, the agreement states, with the balance intended to cover Mulfort’s attorney fees.

    Under the settlement agreement, the state “denies any wrongdoing or unlawful acts” while Mulfort acknowledged that she “has not been denied leave under the Family Medical Leave Act.”

    “This settlement doesn’t fix what they did to me or my family. It doesn’t undo the trauma or restore what was stolen from me,” Mulfort told News 6. “It does, however, close the door on a chapter built on cruelty and cowardice. It allows me to move forward without carrying the weight of their actions. And it frees me to release people who were never worthy of my trust, my loyalty, or my forgiveness.”

    Mulfort, who now works in the private sector, did not return to the state attorney’s office after Worrell won re-election last fall.

    “I’ve worked for the State of Florida for over 10 years,” said Mulfort. “I went above and beyond daily in that office — to the point I was working on the day my child was born. I served with integrity, diligence, and with a deep commitment to this community. And when I needed even a fraction of that care in return, I was met with this despicable act.”

    Representatives from the governor’s office did not immediately comment on the settlement. A spokesperson for the Orange-Osceola state attorney’s office declined to comment.

    “Our office represented the Ninth Circuit State Attorney’s Office in an employment action,” said a spokesperson for Florida’s Attorney General. “The Office of the Attorney General routinely handles such matters for state agencies and constitutional officers. The settlement that was reached at mediation speaks for itself.”

    Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    Private spaceflight ends with a Pacific splashdown for astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary
    • Local news

    Astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary conclude private space mission with a Pacific Ocean splashdown

    A recent private spaceflight concluded on Tuesday with a splashdown in the…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Former CS Johnson Factory in Champaign could have new future
    • Local news

    Potential Future Plans for Former CS Johnson Factory in Champaign

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A building that’s been sitting empty for two…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Macon County EMA shares flood safety tips
    • Local news

    Flood Safety Advice Released by Macon County EMA

    MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — With floods causing significant damage throughout the…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Massie moves to force vote on releasing Epstein files
    • Local news

    Massie Initiates Action to Demand a Vote on Releasing Epstein Documents

    Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said he would try to use…
    • Internewscast
    • July 16, 2025
    Expansion WNBA team brings back the original Portland Fire name
    • Local news

    “Portland Fire Name Revived for New WNBA Expansion Team”

    PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon’s WNBA team stepped back in time for its…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    'It's ruined': Residents worry construction site is polluting neighborhood pond
    • Local news

    ‘Residents Concerned: Construction Site May Be Polluting Neighborhood Pond’

    RINCON, Ga. () — On Tuesday, residents of Magnolia Drive in Rincon…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Seattle's Cal Raleigh becomes first catcher and switch-hitter to win Home Run Derby
    • Local news

    Cal Raleigh of Seattle Makes History as First Catcher and Switch-Hitter to Win Home Run Derby

    ATLANTA — Seattle’s Cal Raleigh clinched his inaugural All-Star Home Run Derby…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Senate advances funding bill with Central Illinois projects
    • Local news

    Senate Moves Forward with Funding Bill Benefiting Central Illinois Projects

    CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Two hospitals in Central Illinois are advancing towards…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    WATCH LIVE at 10:30 a.m.: Florida AG James Uthmeier holds news conference in Orlando
    • Local news

    Tune in Live at 10:30 a.m.: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier Hosts Press Conference in Orlando

    News 6 will stream event live at the top of this story…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Anti-war protests planned in major cities after US strikes Iran
    • Local news

    Public Relations Firm Offered $20M to Organize Anti-Trump Demonstrations

    () Across the nation Thursday, “Good Trouble Lives On” protests are set…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Oklahoma man killed by water buffalo he had just purchased
    • Local news

    Oklahoma Resident Fatally Injured by Newly Acquired Water Buffalo

    JONES, Okla. (KFOR) An Oklahoma man died Friday after being attacked by…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025

    Expanding Memorial Wall in Kerr County Honors Texas Flood Victims

    KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) The Wall of Hope, a memorial for those killed…
    • Internewscast
    • July 15, 2025
    Fan in Caitlin Clark jersey ejected from Fever-Sun game
    • US

    Spectator Wears Caitlin Clark Jersey, Gets Ejected from Fever vs. Sun Match

    A Fever fan was given the boot from TD Garden in Boston…
    • Internewscast
    • July 16, 2025
    Mom used son, 16, as 'muscle' to beat and murder man
    • Crime

    Mother Enlists Teen Son in Fatal Assault of a Man

    Background: Samantha Watts enters a courtroom in Horry County, South Carolina (WPDE).…
    • Internewscast
    • July 16, 2025
    Fernandina residents split over city’s paid parking proposal
    • US

    Fernandina Residents Divided on New Paid Parking Plan

    City leaders in Fernandina Beach heard presentations from top parking vendors, sparking…
    • Internewscast
    • July 16, 2025
    Colorado dentist in poisoning case suggests wife killed herself
    • Local news

    Colorado dentist implies wife took her own life in poisoning incident

    () The murder trial of a Colorado dentist accused of killing his…
    • Internewscast
    • July 16, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.